Payday lenders dupe the poor

Regarding your April 5 article "Advance Financial flourishes amid payday loan backlash," let's put the blame for their astronomical charges where it belongs: with legislators and Gov. Bill Haslam, who have made it legal to charge interest rates and fees that sometimes exceed 500 percent when annualized.

According to your report, "Advance (Financial) earns more than $1 million per month on payday loans' interest." Payday lenders' charges should be halfway reasonable. Advance Financial's president "has for years donated thousands to Tennessee lawmakers." We must make public the names of those who accepted this money and approved what payday lenders wanted.

Your article further points out that in January, $21,400 was donated to Gov. Haslam. This was to "help with his re-election." In May 2011, Gov. Haslam signed into law "a law that made payday loans more profitable for places like Advance."

These politicians need to get out of bed with the payday loan industry and start representing their constituents.